BEING EDITED
by EarthboundWarrior
Summary: This story was written a long time ago before I had a good grasp on character and plot development. You can read it if you want, but it's currently undergoing massive editing. ORIGINAL TITLE: Concealed
1. Prologue: Once Upon A War

**Prologue**

Long ago, in a nation known as Eagleland, a generation of strange people were born. They seemed to come out of nowhere. They had powers, extraordinary powers, and were feared by those who lived with them. They became known as Psions. One day, the ordinary folk decided to get rid of them, out of fear.

A war broke out. The ordinary people kept fighting and fighting, their technology steadily growing stronger. They hoped they could end the strife that they created, hoped the Psions could be made extinct, finally fulfilling an old goal from decades ago. After many long years of war and bloodshed, the ordinary people surrendered. Cities had been destroyed, technology had been ruined, people had been killed.

The president surrendered the country to the Psions, allowing them to live in luxury in a grand Capitol, where the wealthy lived. They were in charge of the country. They were the rulers of Eagleland.

New cities began to spring up from the debris of war. Onett, Podunk, and Tazmily, small towns for poor people. Twoson, Snowman, and Threed, towns where the majority of the population lived. Merrysville and Winters, industrial cities where scientists and engineers worked. Fourside and New Pork City, wealthy cities where only the richest people lived.

And then there was the Capitol. Important people, wealthy people, and people of high titles lived there, along with the Psions. The Psions were the most important out of anyone. They made the laws and all lived together in a large mansion in the middle of the city. Every year, they would oversee the New Year's Festival in all of the outer cities.

The New Year's Festival was a 3 day long event, celebrated by all of the cities in Eagleland. Day 1 consisted of The Testing, where every citizen over the age of 7 was tested to see if they were a Psion. If so, they were sent to the Capitol, to join the other Psions. Very rarely were any Psions found. Day 2 was The Day Of Starting Anew, the final day of the year. Day 3 was The New Day, where everyone was required not to work. The Psions also visited their hometowns and said hello to family and friends. Other than that, they didn't meet in person.

It has been this way for 100 years, and nobody dared to change the system, the flawed government.

And that is where our story begins, with a boy being late for work.

* * *

 **Tazmily, Eagleland**

 **201X**

"Crud, I'm gonna be late!" Lucas yelled. He was headed for the Stitchery, where most people in Tazmily worked. Recently, he had been tackling a fever, and had found it hard to get out of bed that morning. He was almost late for work. He raced down the streets, bumping into a few people along the way. Doing so made him feel weak due to his fever.

It was a cold December morning. Snow blanketed the dreary scene of Tazmily, making it slightly festive. Lucas' jacket had become too small a month earlier, so he was cold. At least there would be some time during this year's New Year's Festival to relax, and after sorting out a budget for the first month of the year, if there was enough money left over after accounting for food, water, and other necessities, he would get a new jacket.

A 12 year old going to work was nothing out of the ordinary in Tazmily. After Lucas' mother had died, he and his twin brother, Claus, had been working at the Stitchery, sewing clothing in order to make money for themselves and their dad. The time they were expected to be there was 8 AM on the dot, which was 5 minutes away. Soon, Lucas reached the small clothing factory.

The Stitchery was a large, cold building. There was a small, unmaintained lobby where workers would sign in to begin working. Two doors led to a large, unheated room with grey walls, and sewing machines, fabric, and patterns placed in uniform rows. The only friend Lucas and Claus had there was a boy who was 14. His name was Fuel.

Claus was waiting for him. "Lucas, what took you so long?!" Claus said, full of concern. "You were almost late!" "Nothing.. I just can't seem to shake this fever.. Maybe I have a cold or something," said Lucas, trying to not worry his dear brother.

Sickness was common in Tazmily. It was a small town, and with a lack of money, people couldn't afford medicine. There was too big of a population to hold Tazmily, so sickness was spread often.

The two walked into the workroom and found their assigned workbenches, sewing machines ready to use. Lucas pulled out a pattern, cut the fabric as neatly as he could, and prepared to work. Next to him, Claus was having some trouble with his machine.

"Need any help?" Lucas offered to Claus. "No, I'm good," said Claus, who was almost tangled in thread that he was using to thread his sewing machine. Lucas helped Claus anyway. He made sure to be discreet, because if someone was caught doing someone else's work, they would get sent to prison.

Lucas began to sew. He was pretty good at it. "You get it from your mother," his dad would say. About halfway through a shirt, he began feeling weak. "I'm just working too hard," he thought. "I should slow down." About to finish the final few stitches, the weakness took over his body, fatigue spilling into his muscles, like his body was shutting down. "H-help.. Someone.." Nobody noticed something was wrong with Lucas until his head smacked against his workbench.


	2. The Truth Can Be Painful

"LUCAS!" screamed Claus, running to his unconscious brother. A few workers looked up, annoyed from Claus' yelling. Claus began to tend to his younger twin, not caring if they would get fired from their job. Within moments, Claus noticed the stream of warm, sticky, red blood making it's way down Lucas' face from his nose. This caused Claus to panic even more. Just the thought of his twin getting a nosebleed terrified him. "SOMEONE HELP, YOU NEED TO HELP MY BROTHER!" he shouted in desperation. Soon, Lucas and Claus' boss came over to the scene.

"What's all the commotion about?! People are trying to work-" Mr. Minch, the manager of the Stitchery, stopped talking when he saw Lucas. He frowned. "Dropped from work exhaustion, did he?" said Mr. Minch, "It's a shame. The poor boy was great at his job." "Look, can I just take him home?! I don't know what's wrong with him!" Claus almost yelled. "He's had a fever for the past few days, and now he's unconscious! He could be dying!"

"Fine. Whatever, but you two won't be paid for the day," said Mr. Minch, a disapproving look on his face. "Aw man.. Well, thanks for letting me bring him home," said Claus. He was upset that they wouldn't be getting paid. They would be losing 10 dollars this way, because he and Lucas each made 5 dollars a day. It was fair though, Claus had barely sewn anything. In fact, he was still tangled up in thread.

Claus picked up his twin, cradling him gently, as he walked through the workroom, into the lobby. He exited the building and faced an icy blast of December air. Claus raced down the cracking, worn out streets, trying to get home as soon as possible, snow filling his shoes as he ran. Soon, he reached the small house he, Lucas, and their father, Flint lived. Claus kicked the door open and laid Lucas on the raggy navy blue carpeting. Just then, Flint came through the door.

"What happened?!" said Flint, face full of concern. "I don't know, Lucas fainted at work, and I-" Claus was interrupted by Flint. "Well, if he fainted, you should let him rest. Put him on the bed." Claus did as he was told and placed Lucas on the bed he shared with him. Flint's bed was next to it.

The house only had 2 rooms. There was a main room, with 2 beds, a small stove, a table, 3 chairs, and a small television. There was also a small bathroom, with a toilet, sink, and shower. If anything, they were lucky that they had a bathroom. Most people in Tazmily didn't, and had to go outside to use the bathroom, which was very inconvenient in the winter.

Lucas awoke about an hour later, startling Claus. "Lucas!" Claus yelled, throwing his arms around Lucas. "Wait Claus, I don't want you to get sick-" Lucas realized he was at home. "What happened?" he said. "You fainted at work, so I took you home. We didn't get paid for the day," said Claus. Lucas seemed saddened. "Now we can't get the jackets that we need.." "Who cares about jackets anymore?! What matters is that you're alright," said Claus. The twins hugged eachother for a few minutes.

Claus realized he needed to get food. Only necessities, of course. That was all they could afford. "Well, it's my turn to go buy food for the week," he said. Shortly after, Claus left the house. Lucas noticed he felt odd, like there was something weird about him. He brushed it off as nothing, or maybe possibly because he didn't have a fever anymore. He didn't feel like he had a fever anymore, anyway. He was bored, so he decided to watch television. There were only 2 channels, a news channel, and the Capitol channel, with news directly from the Psions and occasionally a New Year's special, or something else. Those were the only two channels they got in Tazmily.

After about 5 minutes of watching the news channel, the TV automatically switched to the Capitol channel. "There must be an announcement from the Psions," Lucas said. Blue eyes trained on the TV, Lucas began to watch. Paula, one of the Psions, originally from Twoson, stepped in front of the camera. She was wearing a beautiful holiday dress, pink with shiny silver accents. She was wearing her golden blond hair in a bun, tied back by her signature red ribbon. She was beautiful.

Paula began to speak. "Hi Eagleland! I just wanted to say happy New Year's! Remember, the Festival starts tomorrow! But don't worry. I'm sure everyone will have a great time! Anyways, that's all I've got to say. Bye!" the TV turned off. Lucas had always thought Paula was a nice person, because she really cared about people's happiness and wellbeing. The only problem was that she didn't know what happened in Tazmily. Lucas chuckled sadly as he got up from where he sat on the floor and stretched.

Lucas began to think about what it would be like to be a Psion. It would be great living in a spacious house in the Capitol, never having to worry about getting money or being cold or going hungry. But Lucas couldn't bear the thought of leaving Claus and Flint to fend for themselves back in Tazmily. He certainly couldn't bring them with him. "Good thing I ain't a Psion," Lucas thought.

Lucas was starting to feel paranoid for no real reason. He had read in school that Psions got high fevers sometimes, due to their powers adjusting, and he had just had a fever. A worrying parallel for sure, but likely nothing. But wait. What if this wasn't just a cruel coincidence? What if this was something bad? Lucas had to run an experiment.

Lucas chose to see if he could freeze anything, burn anything, shock anything, or do anything PSI related. He searched for something, anything to test on. He found a small pad of paper, yellowed and falling apart, that he could test on under his and Claus's bed. He set the pad down on the floor and stared at it, concentrating. He wasn't really sure what he was concentrating on. After a few seconds, the pad froze over, like a block of ice with paper in it. Lucas was horrified.

He was a Psion.

Lucas began crying. He knew The Testing was tomorrow, and since there were no Psions ever found in Tazmily, The Testing was done by everyone. Even babies. Not just people ages 13 and up. Lucas realized he had to hide this in order to stay home. There was a million thought racing around in his head, and he was scared. He then began to relax. There was only one way to know if he was a Psion for sure. He had to see if he could read minds, which was a trademark skill of Psions.

Lucas jumped when Claus entered the house. Frightened, he froze in place. "Hey Lucas, dad's going to be late coming home tonight. He had to run an extra errand-" Claus noticed the fearful expression on his twin's face and stopped talking. Claus was about to ask what was wrong when he saw Lucas' face go blank, as if Lucas was deep in thought. Scared, Claus picked Lucas up and put him into bed. "You should rest," Claus said.

Lucas was reading Claus's mind. It felt so weird to be looking at thoughts that weren't his. It was like information was flowing into his mind. Lucas was saddened by this.

Lucas snapped out of his trance-like state frowned. He had just read Claus' mind. Claus registered the frown on Lucas's face and began to worry. "Lucas, what's wrong?" "Nothing, Claus.. But what if I told you that.. Uh.." Lucas struggled to find the words he needed. "Just spit it out, Lucas!"

"I'm a Psion, Claus." Lucas couldn't hold back his tears.


	3. The Worst Test

"I'm a Psion, Claus."

Lucas regretted saying those words before he even said them. Claus' face was a mixture of sadness, confusion, worry, and urgency. The house was so quiet, you could hear your blood flowing. Finally, Claus spoke. "Are they gonna take you away to the Capitol..?" Claus cried. Lucas got out of his bed and backed up against the wall to give his brother some space. Claus never cried. Not even when Hinawa died.

Hinawa's death had been short and tragic. Nobody was quite sure how she died, but after she didn't return home after running some errands, Flint began to search for her. She had been found dead in an alley, laying peacefully on the ground, in a creepy way. She wasn't wounded in any way. They couldn't afford a funeral, so one day, at midnight, Flint snuck out to the forest around Tazmily and gave Hinawa a proper burial, though it was against the law. She had always loved the forest. The twins were both 8 years old when it happened. Very soon after, they began to work at the Stitchery.

Lucas decided it was time for him to comfort Claus instead of Claus comforting him. "No. I won't let them take me," Lucas began, "I'll hide. Pretend I'm too sick for The Testing. If they find out I'm a Psion, I'll run away." "Isn't that risky? You might get arrested," Claus said. Lucas hadn't thought of that. The only way he would be able to escape was to run away and return later.

"Claus, I'm going to run away. I'll flee to another town or city until I can return." Lucas started grabbing various objects from inside the small house. "Lucas, if you don't go to The Testing tomorrow, they'll know something's up," Said Claus. "Then I'll go to The Testing and make a plan later," Lucas argued.

The twin's argument was hushed by Flint entering the house. Lucas debated in his head whether to tell his dad about him being a Psion. He eventually decided not to. He would find out tomorrow at The Testing. Flint broke the awkwardness by grabbing some eggs from the groceries Claus brought home and began cooking them over the small stove with an old frying pan. Lucas and Claus knew what was going on.

"Omelettes!" Lucas and Claus cheered in unison. Omelettes were a rare treat ever since Hinawa died. Flint made a big show while cooking, singing songs and cracking jokes. One of the few times everyone was happy was when Lucas, Claus and Flint were together. Soon, the omelettes were ready to eat. The trio sat down at the wobbly wooden table. Claus immediately shoved half of his omelette into his mouth.

"Esh sooo guud," said Claus in a muffled voice, his mouth full of fluffy yellow omelette. Lucas burst out laughing. Claus swallowed the massive amount of food in his mouth and smiled. "What's so funny?" Claus questioned playfully. "Well m'boy, you've drooled all over the table," said Flint, chuckling. The area of the table where Claus was eating was a mess. Drool and small chunks of omelette were everywhere. Lucas couldn't help but giggle. It was as if the news that Lucas was a Psion seemed to dissipate into thin air.

After about 20 more minutes of playing with their food, the trio put their plates in a small sink next to the stove, ready to be washed later, likely without soap. It had been a long day, and Lucas needed sleep. He climbed into bed with Claus, and Flint climbed into his bed. Soon, Lucas fell into a deep slumber.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Said Claus. "We're gonna be late for The Testing!" Claus seemed excited, but Lucas knew it was fake excitement, a mask so his dread wouldn't show. They both knew Lucas might be going to the Capitol that very evening. Flint was awake and hurriedly preparing to rush to Main Street, where The Testing was held. Flint grabbed a blanket to keep the twins warm, and then the three ran down to Main Street.

Lucas trailed slightly behind his father and brother, saddened by the fact that he had almost no time to come up with a plan. He would be going to the Capitol, most likely. He bumped into a pink haired girl wearing a hoodie, causing her to drop what she was carrying. Lucas gasped. "I'm so sorry, miss! I wasn't looking where I was going and-" The girl interrupted Lucas by picking up the bag she was carrying and walking away. Lucas felt bad.

A few minutes later, Lucas and Claus were in the long line of citizens in Tazmily. Main Street was a long road that branched off into other roads, where most homes and businesses were. The Testing was a simple process. One of the Psions would read everyone's minds to see if anyone was a Psion as well. There was no hiding the fact you were a Psion if you were one. Lucas felt doomed. Claus looked at his brother reassuringly.

The Psion that was performing The Testing this year was Ninten. Lucas thought Ninten was a decent person, though from what he had heard, all he did was eat Oreos all day. Lucas had never had an Oreo before. He couldn't afford them. He had always wanted to try the cookie, however.

Ninten began walking along the line of citizens, seeming bored. He passed Lucas, then stopped, as if something was wrong. Ninten walked back to Lucas. "Citizens of Tazmily, I've found a Psion."

Flint looked at Lucas, confused. Claus began to break down and cry. Lucas cried as well. He couldn't go to the Capitol. He had to stay in Tazmily and help support his family. Suddenly, Lucas felt an immense rush of energy and felt the urge to shout. He shouted the first words that he could think of. He didn't mean to say them, they just tumbled out.

"PSI Teleport Alpha!"


	4. Running From Your Problems

Lucas rushed forward with a flash of light and disappeared, disorienting the people around him. Luckily, nobody knew where he had gone. He had gone home. Never was Lucas so excited to see his house. Though it was small and the paint was peeling off the walls, it was his home, and he loved it. He rushed inside, happy to be there, away from what could have been a nightmare. That happiness was quickly replaced by worry and confusion.

What was Lucas going to do next? Where was he going to go? Would he be taken to the Capitol? Kidnapped? No. Because he was going to flee. Grabbing a small pad of paper and short, overused pencil, Lucas wrote a note to Claus and Flint, letting them know that he would be running away. At least until the Capitol couldn't care less about him, anyway. Then he would return.

Lucas picked up a small bag he used for carrying books back when he used to go to school. He and Claus had gone to school until Hinawa died, then they started working to help support the family. Lucas picked up a small loaf of nut bread from the table, hoping it would be enough to last him the time of his escape. After putting the nut bread into his bag, Lucas scavenged around the room for anything useful. Finding nothing, Lucas stepped outside and was relieved to find that nobody was there.

Lucas began to walk cautiously along the road, worn red and yellow sneakers leaving clean footprints in the just-fallen snow. He began to run after realizing the coast was clear. His bag with the nut bread in it smacked against his side as he ran. Soon he reached the town boundaries, with a chain link fence blocking off the forest beyond. Upon inspection, Lucas noticed the fence had a broken section, just big enough for his slim frame to fit through. Lucas bent down and began to wriggle through the hole.

Lucas almost froze in fear when he heard someone coming. He shoved himself through the hole in the fence as fast as he could, causing his side to get scratched against a sharp link of the fence, ripping his shirt. He winced as he got up and ran.

About 15 minutes of running later, Lucas felt he was deep enough into the forest that he was safe for the time being. He inspected the damage of his wound, which scared him. The wound was 4 inches long, and seemed deep. Dried blood soaked his shirt where it had ripped. Lucas cried. Only then was the pain of the wound beginning to set in. Lucas dropped down to his knees in pain. He spoke some words instinctively, but he wasn't sure why. "PK Lifeup Alpha," he said softly.

He watched in utter fascination as his skin knitted together, the wound closing up quickly. Lucas let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was exhausted. He found a suitable tree to climb, and scaled it quickly. He had never climbed a tree before and found himself quite good at it, though his foot slipped a few times.. Sitting on a thick branch, Lucas began to relax. He tore a small piece of nut bread off of the loaf and ate it. He had always like nut bread, though most people didn't.

Tazmily was a poor town and most people struggled to get by. Nut bread was an inexpensive food item that was the most a lot of people could afford, and thus was always in bulk quantity. Most people were ungrateful for nut bread. But Lucas loved the slightly sweet, almost salty taste of the bread, like if almond milk was made into bread, but sweeter. It was almost as good as omelettes. At least he thought so.

Lucas got comfortable in the tree, or a least as comfortable you can be in a tree. Lucas soon drifted off into a quiet sleep.

A loud crash rang through the forest, shaking Lucas awake. He fell out of the tree he was in. Thankfully, the snow blanketed his fall. No sooner than when he got up and shook the fluffy white snow from his freezing face was he met by an Enforcer's gaze.

Enforcers enforced the law. If someone got out of line, they took care of it. If something got out of hand, they handled it. Like police. Lastly, they sent complaints and reports to the Capitol to be reviewed and handled by the Psions. Not much like police. Lucas had always been afraid of Enforcers, ever since he saw one almost kill a shoplifter in public.

Lucas screamed and tried to get away, but just as he did, another Enforcer blocked his path. Multiple Enforcers surrounded him, and Lucas began to panic. This was it. He was going to the Capitol. He would only see his family one day per year, the family he loved...

Love. Lucas felt something odd when he thought of that word, and chills went down his spine that weren't caused by the cold. Gathering his courage, he felt a wave of power overtake him, just as had happened when he teleported. Lucas then called upon his instincts for the correct words to say. He took a deep breath. "PK LOVE ALPHA!" he screamed, not sure why he did.

What happened next was chaotic. The forest was enveloped by cyan, purple and yellow in a fabulous display of hexagons, showering the area in a terrifying display. And then Lucas fainted.

Lucas woke up in a room with tan walls. He was laying on a soft, well-made bed, with blue covers lightly covering him, as if someone had taken great care not to harm him while placing him in the bed, or as if he was a porcelain doll, ready to shatter. The room lightly smelled of wood, a smell that Lucas had always admired. A small table and chair were placed against the wall adjacent to where the bed was. A wooden dresser and bookcase were placed against the wall opposite to where the table was. A window with light brown curtains was next to the bed, curtains slightly drawn, allowing light to spill into the room.

Looking out of the window, Lucas spotted a sign. In colorful but worn letters, it said "Welcome to Onett".

* * *

 **Darude Dogestorm:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you think the story is interesting so far!

 **Guest:** Haha yeah, I like to use cliffhangers. I feel cliffhangers are a good way to build suspense and get readers hooked on the story and what will happen next. Honestly though, I just write because I like to do it.

Anyways, I should have the next chapter up in a few days, so bye for now!


	5. Welcome To Onett

No later than Lucas had registered what the sign said did someone walk through the door into the room. Lucas immediately panicked. He backed up against the window and raised his fists in a defensive position, hoping he wouldn't have to fight.

The person, who Lucas now realized was a woman, wearing a pink dress that went down to her feet that complimented her blond hair, didn't seem surprised by this. "Are you doing okay-" she started to speak before Lucas interrupted. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" Lucas cried. The woman saw that if she was going to speak, she must do it quickly.

"My name is Claire Franklin," she explained quickly, "But you may call me Claire. I found you unconscious in the forest and brought you here. I'm not trying to hurt you."

Lucas's terrified stance cooled into a slightly trusting one. But he was still scared. Especially when he realized he was in Onett, a long ways away from Tazmily. Kinda. Tazmily was about 5 miles away from Onett. That was a long walk. Lucas would need to hurry before Claus and Flint got worried. Though they probably already were worried. Lucas's thoughts were interrupted by a concerned Claire.

"Do you remember how you got into the forest?" Lucas remembered all right. The memories from The Testing and his time in the forest were both painfully burned into his brain. He wanted to forget. And he had no idea what he was going to tell Claire. She was a total stranger, so how did Lucas know she could be trusted? Would she believe him? Would she care? Lucas's over-sized heart gave in and he began to speak.

"I'm a Psion. But I can't go to the Capitol. I have a family to help." Tears began to form in Lucas's eyes. "I ran away. So I could go back when nobody cared about me running away." Lucas began blinking back tears. "But then... I was cornered by Enforcers... I bet they were trying to take me away... So..." Lucas couldn't speak. His throat had been tied into a knot. The memory engulfed him in pain and regret. Tears spilled from his eyes.

Claire wasn't sure what to do at this point. Gathering all of her motherly instincts, she hugged Lucas.

Lucas's pain was partially quelled. His tears stopped and he finally understood what he needed to do. "I need to go. I need to get home."

Claire let go of Lucas, understanding what Lucas wanted. After a meal of bread and potato salad, some rest, Lucas found himself meeting Claire's daughter, Tracy.

"Are you really from another city?" Tracy asked, the young girl's blue eyes shining with excitement and awe. People rarely traveled from city to city. Lucas smiled. "Yes, and I really hope I can return soon.." Lucas said, remembering his family. He couldn't fail his father and brother.

But maybe he already had.

Just before he left, Lucas realized Claire had used up the last of her food for him. Lucas was saddened by this, but was also grateful. He needed to say thanks for this great deed. As he walked through the front door, Lucas turned back. "Thank you," he said shyly before walking away.

The sun was warm against Lucas's skin, which surprised him. It was cold in Tazmily at the moment, so why wasn't it cold here? "Oh well," Lucas thought as he strolled the dirt roads in Onett. Lucas noticed how nice the dirt roads looked in comparison to the roads in Tazmily, which almost looked like someone had rubbed charcoal and soot all over them, then colored them with black chalk. Lucas liked how the dirt felt under his feet. No sooner then he had thought of this was he attacked.

Lucas whirled around, pain staying in his back where he had gotten hit. Soon, his eyes rested on an oddly dressed teenager on a skateboard, wearing a teal outfit and white sneakers. There was a shark fin on his head that seemed to be part of his outfit. The teenager had a wide grin on his face.

"Welcome to Onett," the teenager said menacingly before shredding fiercely, injuring Lucas's foot. "Ouch!" Lucas didn't want to use his powers, not here, not now. He wasn't sure if he could. So he didn't. Instead, he ran away.

Avoiding attacks was tough. Apparently, the skateboarder was only one out of dozens of gang members. Lucas was extremely injured by now, but he needed to escape. Needed to leave. Needed to run. Soon, after running through town, he was face to face with the leader of the gang, Frank. His loud red suit intimidated Lucas.

"So, you're the one who's been bothering my gang?" Frank said, a hint of edge in his voice. "No sir! I was running away-" Lucas was immediately stopped by a heavy blow to his chest. "PK Lifeup," Lucas said weakly, fixing the broken ribs in his chest. He was beginning to get the hang of this move. He had no idea if Frank had seen, but he seemed to have not, so Lucas assumed it was alright. He dodged as many punches as he could, but was caught off guard when Frank began throwing knives.

Lucas dodged even faster until he was out of breath. Frank seemed bored. Lucas hoped this battle was finished. Frank climbed into a large tank-like contraption, bronze and rusty, obviously made in poor conditions. It had a small porthole, and seemed to have a face. It also had two large arms with white gloved fists. "Are you kidding me?!" Lucas yelled. Frank grinned from within the contraption. "This is the Frankystein Mark II, and it will be the cause of your riddance."

Lucas realized this was going to be harder than he thought.

 **Author's note: May I present the shortest chapter of Concealed to date! Clocking in at 874 words, this chapter might have seemed rushed. And honestly, I didn't have much time to write this week, so sorry about that. School's been hitting me hard lately, so I've been busy. Anyway, this is EarthboundWarrior, signing out until next time! Bye!**

 **Author's note 2: I edited the chapter. The next chapter will be done within 3 weeks, if I have time to write.**


	6. Worsening Matters

"Has he been found?"

Ness was sitting at a long, oval shaped conference table in a clean, official looking room. The walls were almost grey, and the furniture was polished and brown, the wood shining from fresh polish being placed on them recently. A window looked out over the rest of the Capitol. The other Psions, Ana, Ninten, and Paula, were here, sitting along the sides of the table.

"No," Ana spoke up. "But we're trying to, and we've made progress-"

"He needs to be found. This is how the government works."

Ninten frowned. "I was there at the Tazmily Testing," he spoke, "And that Lucas kid seemed panicked when I found out he was a Psion like us. Maybe we should leave the poor kid alon-"

"EXCUSE me, Ninten, but in case you haven't noticed, we're the ONLY PEOPLE running the government around here. We need more people to join the government to keep this country running, because in case you haven't realized, WE'RE GOING TO DIE SOMEDAY," Ness snapped.

Ninten, startled by Ness's sudden outburst, fell silent and mumbled a quick apology, then pulled the blue bill of his red cap over his face.

Ness glanced at Paula in frustration. "Do you have anything to say?"

"Well, I did receive a report of a sighting of Lucas."

Ness perked up. "Where?"

"Onett. Near the Town Square. He was seen fighting this robot thing.."

Ness sighed. That was probably Frank Fly, a slightly insane robot engineer/gang leader who ran a meat stand at the marketplace in Onett. "Send some Enforcers their way." Ness stood and began to exit the room. He turned back towards the other Psions. 12 year old Ninten, 11 year old Ana, and 14 year old Paula stared back at him. He furrowed his brow. "And find that Lucas kid, no matter what the cost." He slammed the door shut.

* * *

Lucas screamed as he dodged a mighty punch from Frankystein Mark II. He was panicking, knowing he likely couldn't dodge much longer. He was getting tired and didn't want to move on. He panicked further when he saw that there were Enforcers starting to corner the man and the frail boy, causing Frank to quickly shut off his robot mech. He was certain he'd be arrested for trying to hurt this kid.

Frank climbed out of his robot. "Anything wrong, officers?"

An Enforcer responded in a serious tone. "Yes, actually. Frank Fly?"

Frank nodded. "Yea?"

"You're fighting someone we need to bring to the Capitol."

Frank stared at Lucas for a moment. Eyeing him closely, Frank realized he had been fighting the new Psion. "Oh god, I'm in trouble now.." he muttered.

Lucas was staring at the ground now. Enforcers were here, he couldn't fight due to him being tired, and there was nobody nearby who could help him.

He watched as an Enforcer handcuffed Frank and led him to the Enforcement Center. He was surely next.

Two Enforcers grabbed Lucas's hands, and a few more stood in front and behind him. They started walking to the city limits. This was it. Lucas was never going to return home. Claus and Flint were going to die of hunger or freeze to death or get mugged.. The sad possibilities whirled in Lucas's head as he allowed himself to be guided by the Enforcers. He should've known this would happen.

At the limits, there was a fancy, official looking car, with Eagleland's seal on the doors. Through the windows, Lucas could see Ness, Ninten, Ana, and Paula. He'd be joining them in mere seconds. He felt miserable. He had let his family down.

He started to climb inside as dread flooded his thoughts, when suddenly, someone screamed "PK GROUND!", there was a flash of light, and Lucas fell unconscious as pain filled his bones.

* * *

"Nothing makes sense anymore."

Ana slowly stirred an almost empty mug of hot chocolate with a spoon. She was sitting with Ninten in a large dining room, seated at a large table, shiny from recently applied polish. Ninten had a few Oreos on a plate that was sitting in front of him. He nibbled on one, nodding in agreement.

"I mean, Ness is getting angry, and that attack yesterday.." Ana trailed off.

She could remember every detail from yesterday. She had been watching Lucas climb into the car, when someone had shouted "PK Ground" and there was a flash - no, a patterned flash - of orange light. It hit Lucas, and shook the car violently. Ness and Ninten had fallen unconscious, and she had bruised her cheek. She had decided to let it heal by itself. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw Lucas being hurriedly carried away by who she assumed was the attacker. Whoever they were, they were a Psion, and had a blue hoodie and black leggings on. She hadn't seen their face, so she couldn't engage a search. The Enforcers at the scene had been knocked out. She had done 4 broadcasts and interviews so far today alone on the subject of the attack and was exhausted. She silently drank her hot chocolate as she thought.

"Ness sure is pissed about this.." Ninten spoke, starting on another Oreo. "Hopefully it'll all just blow over?"

Ana shrugged, picking up her now empty mug and returning it to the kitchen.

Ninten was now finished with his Oreos, and said goodbye to Ana when she returned. He walked out of the dining room, walking down the hallways. The walls were a golden brown, and the floors had red carpeting. He eventually reached his bedroom and walked inside.

It was majorly different than the hallway. The walls were painted a cheerful blue, baseball posters and penguin posters adorned them messily, the floors were finished wood, and various items ranging from a book on penguins to a dirty t-shirt littered his floor. There was a white dresser against the wall, and on top of it was a penguin toy, a bent spoon, an old baseball ticket, and a few other items. His bed had covers with a baseball pattern. He had a desk with a computer on it, and a phone as well.

Ninten walked over to his bed and sat on it, thinking about the current situation. Tension was high, since Ness was getting increasingly frustrated with Lucas not being there yet, and the attack that occurred the day prior. He had started bossing the other Psions around, trying to assert himself as leader. He was working harder and harder as the days went on, sending out numerous broadcasts alerting all civilians to report sightings of Lucas. He remembered that less than a week ago, Ana had sent out a broadcast about how this year's New Year's Festival would be great. This was anything but great. He sighed and buried himself under his covers, succumbing to their warmth.

* * *

Claus's emerald eyes were glued to the screen.

Ness was sending out multiple broadcasts a day, and this was the first one Claus had seen. Normally, they'd be broadcast while he was at school or work, but today was The New Day, and thus he had time off. He knew Lucas was running away, but this was madness. His brother was being _hunted._ He had to do something to protect him somehow. It was his duty as the older twin. But how could he help if he didn't know where Lucas was?

Claus felt something stir inside of him. This wasn't fair. Didn't those Psions know they were poor?! He and Flint needed Lucas. Claus missed him, and the rules at the stitchery were getting more strict, strict enough that he could no longer talk to Fuel. Claus wasn't making enough money on his own, either, and though Lucas had only been gone a few days, the difference was huge. Flint was working harder than before, and so was Claus. The two of them were hungry and exhausted. And Claus was lonely.

He felt helpless.

"Please come back, Lucas.."

* * *

 **Author's note: Aaand that's the chapter! I'm trying to write more so you can expect the next chapter sooner. I've also been working on length, spacing, and detailing.**


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